Stelios Koutouvides, owner of Max Pizza, was front and center for the ribbon cutting and official grand opening of Max Pizza IV, one of six locations throughout Bristol.

Koutouvides and his wife opened their first location on 1976 at 108 Stafford Ave., an old laundry mat that had gone out of business.

The name, “Max,” said Koutouvides, stemmed from his time living in Africa. While there, he had a pet dog named Max. After moving to America, he had another dog named Max, and when he went about opening his first pizza shop, he wanted a name that was easy to say and easy to remember.

This location, 454 Middle St., is the first Max Pizza to have a full bar set up, and while it is currently 7,000 square feet of space, Koutouvides said he wants to renovate the additional 3,000 feet on the upstairs level, which he hopes to make into a party room.

City Council member, Josh Medeiros, said it’s “always nice to have diversity of food in town,” and that he would encourage Bristol residents to “come down” and try the delicious food.

Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu said adding another quality restaurant and bar adds to the quality of life for all Bristol residents.